Letter to My Thirteen Year Old Self
Dear Claire, Hi. I know there’s a lot going through your head right now and that there’s lots of people telling you a lot of different things, but just sit down and listen to me for a moment. You’re okay. Stop shaking. Breathe. Inhale, exhale. Three times. Deeply. It's going to be okay. I know your heart is eager for an explanation about what is going on. I’m here to tell you that you’re experiencing growing pains. Severe ones, but don’t worry. You’ll grow out of them just like your favorite navy polka dotted mini skirt. The pain your feeling is the realization that the world is scary. You have found that some people are mean and that life can be cruel. You are afraid. This paralyzing fright inside you needs to be let out, and the hospital gown you currently wear reflects this. Let me assure you, though, through this letter, that this fright does not mean the world is any less spectacularly beautiful, nor life is any less worth living. First, some advice: for the nex